By Michael Traficante
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Camden County College is holding its yearly food drive.
Camden County College conducts its annual food drive. By Michael Traficante, CCC Journalism Program
Every year, the college holds a drive to collect food donations for those in need during the holiday season. Throughout the college, bins are placed for students, faculty and visitors to drop off any donations they have to give. Bins are placed on every campus, including the Blackwood, Cherry Hill and Camden campuses. Each bin is the size of a trash can and is collected throughout the week.
Lindsay Mossburbrucker, who had donated two cans, said, “I am donating because I believe it will help someone greatly.”
The food drive collects only canned goods, packs of ramen noodles and any other nonperishable items. The food drive is organized and held by the Student Life and Activities Office located on the Blackwood campus. In charge is Jackie Tenuto. She started the drive and has run the drive for the last seven years. Tenuto said she started the drive seeing it as a good community service project for the school to help give to those in need.
“Sometimes it is good to know that one can of food can really help a lot for a family who is in need,” Tenuto said.
However, donations have not been as large as they have in the past. Because of the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy in October, donations have withered. Thankfully, the Video Game Design Guild came in to help with the drive by holding a fundraiser Dec. 4. Members set up an Xbox, game cube, ps3 and ps2 so many can play games in the café on the Blackwood campus. To play any of the games, participants had to bring in three canned goods or a 12 pack of ramen. The Video Game Design Guild’s fundraiser helped bring up the amount raised in the drive.
The drive started on Nov. 1 and is scheduled to end Dec, 7. The food items that are collected on the Blackwood and Cherry Hill campuses and Regional Emergency Training Center are picked up and sent to the South Jersey Food Bank. Food items that are collected on the Camden campus are given to families of some of the students who live in the area and to the South Jersey Food Bank.